Will GreenwaldInvoxia TribyAs a kitchen-based communications hub with access to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, the Triby from Invoxia is an innovative, useful device. As a Bluetooth speaker, however, it's less impressive.

Mediocre, underpowered sound. Not all Alexa functionality is available. Using Alexa drains the battery quickly.

Bottom Line

As a kitchen-based communications hub with access to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, the Triby from Invoxia is an innovative, useful device. As a Bluetooth speaker, however, it's less impressive.

The $199 Invoxia Triby is a Bluetooth speaker designed for use in the kitchen. It can play Internet radio stations without a connected device, you can write notes on its E Ink screen, and even use it to make VoIP calls to family members. It also has the distinction of being the first third-party product to use Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, previously only available on the Amazon Echo and other Amazon products like the Echo Dot, the Tap, and the Fire TV. The Triby's actual audio performance is mediocre, which makes it hard to justify its price tag, which is higher than the Echo's, but its unique functionality as a kitchen communication device makes it worth your consideration.

DesignThe Triby doesn't look like your typical speaker, with its display- and handle-equipped design. Its metal grille and handle are both white, while a gray rubber cover conceals the rest of the device, which is made of black plastic. You can also buy the speaker with a blue, green, or red rubber cover for an extra $10.

The front of the speaker is dominated by the metal grille, with two Call buttons and one extra button in a column on the left, and two Radio buttons and one additional button on the right. A rectangular 2.8-inch E Ink display sits between the two columns. By default it shows the date and time, as well as the temperature and humidity (based on internal sensors). It also shows the current audio source if playing music, and will display any message a user sends to the device from the Triby app.

The top of the Triby is home to the handle, which is a sturdy, curved metal bar protected by the rubber cover. Play/Pause and Volume Up/Down buttons sit on the top edge of the speaker, directly under the handle. The left side of the Triby holds a bright yellow plastic strip above an Emoji button, which I'll explain below. The right side contains a micro USB port for charging the speaker, plus a Setup button.

Finally, two strong, rectangular magnetic strips sit on the back panel. These magnets let you stick the speaker on your fridge, or on any other magnetic surface. They're very strong, and won't let the Triby be knocked off or even nudged askew without effort. The rubber cover provides welcome protection to whatever you attach the Triby to, preventing the metal of the magnets underneath from scraping against the surface. However, it's not waterproof, so you shouldn't get it wet.

AlexaThe Triby is designed to be more of an audio assistant than strictly a Bluetooth speaker, putting it closer in line with Amazon's Echo products than with music-focused speakers like the Libratone Zipp Mini or the UE Boom 2. This is made particularly apparent with Triby's latest firmware update, which adds support for Amazon's Alexa voice assistant to the device. In fact, the Triby is the first third-party device to support Alexa. Once updated, you can sync the Triby with your Amazon account and use Alexa just like you can on an Echo speaker or a Fire TV device.

Alexa behaves here much the same as on the Echo or the Echo Dot. You can activate it with your voice by simply saying "Alexa" (or "Amazon" or "Echo," if you change the wake-up word in the Alexa app), followed by a question or a command. Alexa can tell you the news, time, weather, and sports scores; answer simple questions; play music; set alarms and timers; and more. Our reviews of the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot explain Alexa's abilities in deeper detail. The Triby's Alexa support is pretty comprehensive, with two key omissions: You can't access Spotify or Pandora with your voice (which is odd, since the speaker supports Spotify Connect, and you can even save your Spotify playlists to the Radio buttons), and you can't use the Triby to pair Alexa with a home automation hub or smart lighting device (but you can control them with the Triby if you set them up using another Alexa device, like an Amazon Echo, first).

If you want Alexa enabled on your Triby, you'll have to make a pretty big concession. Alexa keeps the Triby's microphone constantly on so it can hear the wake-up word, which cuts the device's battery life from an estimated two weeks to two days. This isn't a big deal if you keep the Triby on a counter or attached to a surface close to a power outlet or USB port, but if you don't have such a convenient place in your kitchen, you'll have to charge the speaker frequently.

Notes and CallsAside from using Alexa as a voice assistant, the Triby also focuses on household communication and information. When you first set it up, a simple process that uses the free Triby app for iOS and Android, you create a Triby group of which you're the administrator. Add the names of family members and friends you'd like to include in your Triby group, then direct them to download the Triby app on their device and log in. Once they're in, you can all use the Triby to stay in contact, using the speaker as an electronic notepad and voice communicator.

You can draw something in the app and post it on the Triby's E Ink screen like a Post-It or whiteboard note. The display shows the doodle, and the bright yellow plastic strip on the left side of the speaker pops out like a yellow flag. Anyone walking by the Triby can press the flag back into the device to show that the message was received, and even toggle through a handful of emojis using the button below it to send a simple, non-verbal response. Since the display isn't a touch screen and the Triby doesn't have many buttons, you can't send a text response to the user, only an emoji.

While you can't send text from the Triby, you can communicate by voice. The Triby features a free, built-in VoIP system that lets you directly call users in your Triby group (and receive calls from those users). The two Phone buttons can be assigned to individual members of your group through the app, and the two additional buttons under the Phone and Radio buttons can be assigned to additional users, or used to scroll through the list of users in your group. Voice quality on these calls is surprisingly good, and you can call to/from the Triby even when you're not on the same Wi-Fi network.

The Radio buttons can be assigned to any streaming Internet radio station available through the Triby app (a very large list, similar to the selection you'd find in an app like TuneIn, organized by country). Spotify users can also save playlists on the Triby by holding down one of the Radio buttons for two seconds while the playlist is playing.

Audio PerformanceYou can find some great-sounding Bluetooth speakers for around $200. Unfortunately, the Triby isn't one of them. It distorted horribly on our bass test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," as soon as I pushed the volume levels past two-thirds. Of course, you probably shouldn't expect thumping club beats from a device stuck to your refrigerator door to begin with.

The Triby sounds better with less bass-focused tracks, but it never manages to sound particularly big or powerful. The low, ominous bassline in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "Red Right Hand" is almost nonexistent on the Triby, and Cave's deep, creepy voice loses much of its impact. The higher contours of his vocals and the bright keyboard notes come through clearly, but this song really needs some presence in the lows to come through as menacingly as it should.

More upbeat, synthy music sounds better, I saw upon playing Erasure's "Chains of Love." As a song with little in the way of low end, it comes through crisp and clear, with the bright, tenor vocals and cheery pop beat getting all the presence they need. This is clearly a speaker intended for listening to the radio or jazz while cooking, rather than driving a party.

If we were judging the Triby simply as a Bluetooth speaker, it would be a poor choice in this price range. But it's much more than a Bluetooth speaker, and offers some interesting, useful features that simply can't be found in any other device. Its E Ink display, voice calling, and Alexa support make it a handy companion for the kitchen, and an easy way to get in touch with your family while whipping up dinner. If you just want Alexa alone with much better audio performance, the Amazon Echo is the clear winner. It doesn't stick to your fridge, but it sounds far better and costs $20 less. If you'd prefer to spend much less on a similar device, the Amazon Echo Dot is about on par with the Triby in terms of audio performance, and is designed purely for providing Alexa access and pairs with your existing Bluetooth speaker. If you're just looking for music, the Nyne Edge and the JBL Flip3 offer solid, splash-resistant performance for half the price of the Triby, and are ideal for setting on the counter while you cook.

Invoxia Triby

Bottom Line: As a kitchen-based communications hub with access to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, the Triby from Invoxia is an innovative, useful device. As a Bluetooth speaker, however, it's less impressive.

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About the Author

Will Greenwald has been covering consumer technology for a decade, and has served on the editorial staffs of CNET.com, Sound & Vision, and Maximum PC. His work and analysis has been seen in GamePro, Tested.com, Geek.com, and several other publications. He currently covers consumer electronics in the PC Labs as the in-house home entertainment expert... See Full Bio

Invoxia Triby

Invoxia Triby

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